Clothes pressing machine



May 6, 1941.

E. BEECH CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1939 INVENTOR. ldwzu'd ,Be ech,

Patented May 6, 1941 UNHTED stares parent 2,240,541 7 CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE Edward Beech, Woodside, N. Y. Application May 23, 1939, Serial No. 275,170

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to clothes pressing machines.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a machine of the character stated which can be quickly closed for the pressing operation and which may be actuated to apply increased pressure and to temporarily lock the press in the closed relation.

Other objects are to provide a machine having these advantages and which will be of particularly simple, practical and inexpensive desi n and construction.

The objects mentioned and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of con struction, combinations and relations of parts constituting the invention, hereinafter fully set forth and broadly claimed.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates one of the commercial embodiments of the invention. Structure however, may be modified and changed as regardsthis particular disclosure all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig, l is a front elevation of a clothes pressing machine embodying features of the invention, in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig; 3 is a side elevation showing the press closed by the foot pedal operation.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the hand toggle thrown over to apply further pressure and to secure the press in this condition.

In the several views, a press is shown consis ing of a lower buck ating upper buck or pressure applying member 6, carried by the overstanding lever member 1, hinged at the back at The foot pedal l0, hinged to the base at H, is connected by a link I2, with a pivot stud 13, on the top buck carrying arm 1, and a spring I4, is shown connected with the foot pedal for lifting and supporting the upper buck in the open raised position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

With the construction described, pressure on the foot pedal will quickly close the press and the pressure on the pedal will determine the pressure applied to the clothes.

For applying additional, heavy pressure, hand toggle mechanism is provided, consisting in the illustration of a pair of toggle links I5, it, at each side of the machine, the lower links pivoted at their lower ends to the base at l'l, the upper links [6, pivoted at their upper ends on the center l3, on the buck carrying arm I, and the links or support 5, and a ,cooper- B, to the base structure 9.

of each pair being pivotally connected together at It.

In a preferred construction, the pivot mounting I 3, for the upper end of the pedal link l2, and toggle links [6, is a rod journalled in the buck carrying arm and the toggle links [6, are fixed on the ends of the rod protruding at the opposite sides of the arm 1, while the pedal link is simply loosely pivoted on the end of such rod as by means of the adjustable end sleeve it].

The lower toggle links i5, are shown as having forwardly angled upper end portions 20, which will arch. over the pivot rod i3,'to carry the intermediate toggle centers i3, forwardly over the rod center i3, as indicated in Figs. 3 and' i.

For swinging the toggle levers forwardly from the Fig. 3 to the Fig.4 position, thus to carry the toggle centers past the dead center position into the locked condition of Fig. a handle 2|, is shown set in a socket 22, extending at an acute angle to the general length of one of the upper links l6.

In the open relation, the handle 2|, lays back, projecting to the rear where it is entirely out of the way. As the foot pedal is depressed to lower the upper buck, the lower toggle levers rock the upper toggle levers upwardly and forwardly, thereby swinging the handle 2i, up into a position within easy reach of the operator, Fig. 3. The operator then by grasping the handle and swinging it forwardly to the Fig. 4 position, may rock the upper toggle levers, thus to shorten the distance between toggle centers l7, l3, and draw the top buck forcibly downward a further extent. As the arched upper portions 28, of the lower toggle levers carry the toggle centers l8, forwardly over the center Hi, the toggles the press closed, until released by upward movement of the handle 2| As a matter of operating convenience, a handle 2i may be provided at each end of the machine or the handle may be extended in the form of an arch, from the toggle at one end of the machine across the buck carrying arm to the toggle at the opposite end of the machine.

The bucks, either one or both of them, may be heated electrically or otherwise, and may, if desired, be equipped with suitable steaming means. The upper end of the pull link l2, may be arched or bowed toward the rear of the machine, so as to provide greater clearance about the rearward edge of the work carrying table 23.

The locking movement of the toggle, that is, from the Fig. 3 to the Fig. 4 position, is deter will lock to 'hold this purpose, it is preferable to provide a coiled spring such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and comprising the two coils 25, engaged about the pivot stud 8, said coils being connected together by an intermediate loop portion 25, bearing on the base and the end portions 21, of the spring coils bearing upward against the underside of the hollow or inverted U-shaped supporting arm I. This spring lifts the arm directly and usually is sufficient for all purposes without the pedal lifting spring [4.

As foot pressure on the pedal It] is released, the press will open up from the Fig. 3 to the Fig. 2 position under power of the opening spring or springs 26, M. In this movement, the toggles will rock in a straightening out direction. The extent of this straightening movement is limited in the illustration by the handle socket 22, coming into engagement with a rubber or similar stop cushion 28, on top of the elbow link l5, as in Fig. 2. By means of such a rubber cushion, objectionable slamming noise of the parts is avoided. These cooperating partsalso preferably are so related that the toggles will be stopped in a partly "broken position as in Fig. 2, so that the foot pedal will be operative to pull the press closed without any opposition from the toggles. The toggles limit and control both the opening movement and the closed position of the press. If the final squeezing pressure is not required, the press movements may be controlled entirely by the foot pedal. At all times however, the toggle mechanism is present and available to furnish the maximum pressure and to lock the press in closed position.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes pressing machine, comprising cooperating bucks, a lever carrying one of said bucks, a base on which said lever is pivoted, toggle links pivotally connected together and pivotally connected at their free ends with said base and lever respectively, one of said toggle links being angled to rock past a toggle dead center position and having stop means limiting such motion and a cushion stop on one of the toggle links engageable by a portion of the other toggle link for yieldingly stopping and limiting movement of the links in a toggle opening direction to a position less than a fully straightened position of the toggle centers and foot pedal mechanism connected to rock the buck carrying lever in a press closing direction and to freely swing the angularly related toggle links in so doing.

2. A clothes pressing machine, comprising oooperating bucks, a lever carrying one of said bucks, a base on which said lever is pivoted, toggle links pivotally connected together and pivotally connected at their free ends with said base and lever respectively, one of said toggle links being angled to rock past a toggle dead center position and having stop means limiting such motion and a cushion stop on one of the toggle links engageable by a portion of the other toggle link for yieldingly stopping and limiting movement of the links in a toggle opening direction to a position less than a fully straightened position of the toggle centers and foot pedal mechanism connected to rock the buck carrying lever in a press closing direction and to freely swing the angularly said toggle links having a projecting handle for arbitrary operation of the same.

3. A clothes pressing machine, comprising a base, a buck mounted on said base, a lever arm pivoted on said base, a cooperating movable buck carried by said lever arm, a rock shaft journalled in said. lever arm, toggles at opposite sides of said lever arm and including toggle links fixed on said rock shaft and toggle links pivoted to said first mentioned toggle links and pivotally connected to said base, a foot pedal mounted on the base, a link connected with said foot pedal at one end and pivotally connected with the rock shaft at the opposite end, means acting to raise said lever arm, said toggles pivotally connected between the base and lever arm limiting the raising movement of said lever arm, stop means limiting the straightening movement of said toggles in the raising movement of said lever arm to a position less than the fully straightened dead center condition of the toggles to prevent said toggles from acting as stops to prevent the pedal link from lowering the buck carrying lever arm, the toggle links which are pivotally connected with the base having their upper ends forwardly angled to carry the intermediate toggle pivots forwardly over the rock shaft and a handle for rocking said rock shaft and the toggle links fixed thereto.

4. A clothes pressing machine, comprising cooperating bucks, a lever carrying one of said bucks, a base on which said lever is pivoted, toggle links pivotally connected together and pivotally connected at their free ends to said base and lever respectively, one of said toggle links being angled to rock past a toggle dead center position and having stop means limiting such motion, a stop on one of said toggle links engageable by a portion of the other toggle link for limiting movement of the links in a toggle opening direction to a position less than a fully straightened position of the toggle centers and foot pedal mechanism connected to rock the buck carrying lever in a press closing direction and to freely swing the angularly related toggle links in so doing.

' EDWARD BEECH.

related toggle links in so doing and one of V 

